For the first time, a juror who convicted Rabbi Nechemya Weberman last
month has spoken out, and his silence was broken to refute claims made
by Weberman’s attorney and by many members of the Satmar hasidic
community Weberman belongs to that it was antisemitism – not the law –
that convicted Weberman on sexual abuse charges.
Rabbi Nechemya Weberman
Weberman Juror Explains Why Jury Convicted
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
For the first time, a juror who convicted Rabbi Nechemya Weberman last month has spoken out, and his silence was broken to refute claims made by Weberman’s attorney and by many members of the Satmar hasidic community Weberman belongs to that it was antisemitism – not the law – that convicted Weberman on sexual abuse charges.
"It wasn't religion, it wasn't their background, it wasn't revenge. It was a young girl and an old man alone in a room,” a 42-year-old male juror exclusively told Oren Yaniv of the NY Daily News. The man added that he did not view Weberman as “a monster” and said that he had no preconceptions about the Satmar hasidic community.
"We realized we couldn't make a flippant decision and ruin a man's life. It was, 'Oh boy, we have a serious job,’” the juror told the Daily News.
George Farkas, Weberman’s lead lawyer during the case, alleged after Weberman was convicted that hasidic Jews don’t have “the same shot with a jury as anyone else [would have].”
The juror told the Daily News that the jury believed the victim’s testimony, which he called “emotional.” She was on the stand for three days, mostly under cross examination by Farkas, approximately 13 hours of testimony in total.
Even so, the jury did not want to convict based on her testimony alone (although it could have done so under law).
"We needed something else," the juror said.
That additional evidence came from social worker Sara Fried, who testified that she diagnosed the girl with post traumatic stress disorder caused by years of sexual abuse.
"That's what clinched it. We took the vote and everyone was unanimous,” the juror said.
He also pointed out other evidence that also worked against Weberman, including multiple locks on doors in Weberman’s home, taking the girl on a long day trip upstate alone in his car, and housing female runaway teens in his office.
The jury took about five hours to convict Weberman, who faces as much as 117 years in prison for his crimes.
Weberman is scheduled to sentenced this month.
[Hat Tip: Seymour.]